Remote sensing of violent conflict: eyes from above

The use of remote-sensing technology to study violent conflict has increased considerably over the last 5–10 years. This article surveys this growing field to show which conflict-related impacts are and are not currently possible to detect from afar. A brief overview of the principles of remote-sensing technology and sensor characteristics is provided, followed by a review and discussion of the literature, organized by temporal delay in the visible manifestation of the conflict impact from minutes for structural damage to years for changes to land use/land cover. Remote-sensing technology is most valuable in hard-to-reach and/or dangerous conflict zones where field observations are spotty or non-existent. Although good ground reference data are important for verifying the accuracy of observations derived from remote-sensing imagery, it is possible to corroborate or refute suspect reports with appropriate imagery and analysis techniques.